Self-aligning chock



March 24, 1964 T. L. FAUL 3,125,978

SELF-ALIGNING CHOCK Filed May 8, 1962 r I// i ill/{444M ATTORNEY S United States Patent 3,125,978 SELF-ALIGNING CHOCK Thomas L. Faul, Skaneateles, N.Y., assignor to Aqua- Marine Mfg. Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed May 8, 1962, Ser. No. 193,255 3 Claims. (Cl. 114218) This invention relates generally to marine hardware, and is especially concerned with a unique and highly advantageous line chock.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a line chock which is highly automatic in operation, wherein the chock automatically receives and aligns a line riding over a boat deck to minimize skill and effort required in mooring and the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a unique line chock construction which is adapted for use with lines of widely varying diameters.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel and advantageous line chock that eifectively grasps and holds a line to prevent abrasion of the line and boat finish, which abrasion was heretofore a necessary incident to mooring, towing, and the like.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a line chock having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, which is simple in construction, durable and reliable throughout a long useful life, neat and highly attractive in appearance, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view showing a self-aligning or automatic line chock of the present invention in operative association with a boat deck or gunwale;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing a line chock of the instant invention and illustrating in phantom a line being automatically aligned by the chock;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal elevational view partly broken away and illustrating in dot-and-dash outline a line in operative association with the chock;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the instant chock similar to FIG. 3, but showing a line in an intermediate position with respect to the chock; and

FIG. 5 is an end view taken from the right of FIG. 3 and partly broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the chock of the instant invention is there generally designated 10, and is shown in FIG. 1 as mounted on a deck or gunwale 11.

The chock includes a generally flat, elongate base 13 seated flat on the deck or gunwale 11 and having at one end an upturned lip or ridge 14. The other end of the base 13 is provided with an upstanding or raised portion 15, from which extends a finger or arm 16.

The base 13 may be generally flat, having its upper surface 17 substantially horizontal; and the arm 16 may extend longitudinally of and spaced over the base 13, being inclined away from the base in the direction toward the free arm end 17. Thus, the undersurface 18 of the arm 16 diverges from the base toward the free arm end 17.

As illustrated, it is preferred that the base 13, raised portion 15 and arm 16 be integrally fabricated, as by molding or the like, of suitable plastic material. Preferably, the material is chosen and the molded unit is proportioned such that the arm 16 is resiliently 'deflectable toward and away from the base, for purposes appearing presently.

A second arm 20 is mounted on the base 13, upstanding therefrom, adjacent to and laterally spaced from the arm 16. In particular, the arm 20 may be integrally formed with an anchor plate 21 superposed fiat on the base 13. The anchor plate 21 is bent at 22 proximate to the ridge 14, and extends therefrom, defining the arm 20, obliquely upward and longitudinally inward of the base 13 generally away from the free end 17 of arm 16. Fastener means, such as bolts 23 may depend from the anchor plate 17 through the base 13 for both securing the assembly together and holding the same fast to a support 11. The arm 20 may be formed of sheet metal, integral .with the anchor plate 17, and is spaced laterally from the arm 16, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. In addition to inclination of the arm 20 longitudinally inward of the base and generally away from the free end 17 of arm 16, the arm 20 has one side, the side adjacent to arm 16 declining generally toward the region beneath the latter arm. Specifically, the arm 20 declines sharply from its upper end along the side edge 24 to a vertically intermediate region, and thence declines less sharply along the side edge 25, which may be best seen in FIG. 5. Also, the laterally outer side edge 26 is inclined laterally inward toward the free end of arm 20.

In the operative position of use a line 27 extends transversely through the space between arm 16 and base 13 and is frictionally wedged in position therebetween so as to be firmly held against sliding and abrasion both of the line and deck surface. The divergence of arm 16 and its undersurface 18 from the base 13 in the direction toward the free arm end 17 affords the desired frictional retention; and further, the hereinbefore described resilient deflection of the arm 16 toward and away from the base 13 permits of such frictional retention or wedging action with lines of different sizes or diameters.

Further, upon movement of a line toward the chock 10 the chock will automatically accept the line and engage the latter in the operative position. For example, should a line ride laterally toward the chock 10 of FIG. 2, say from the right, the line will simultaneously be engaged beneath the free arm end 17 and ride over the oblique arm 20 to an illustrated position of line extending generally longitudinally between the arms. From this position, the line rides gravitationally down the side edges 24 and 25 of arm 20, and upon rolling of the craft the line will be drawn to the frictionally engaged operative position of line 27 in FIG. 3.

Similarly should the line approach from the upper side as seen in FIG. 2, it rides over the inclined side edge 26 and into the illustrated intermediate position, from which it is gravitationally guided beneath the arm 16 and subsequently wedged therebeneath.

Also should a line approach from the lower side as seen in FIG. 2, it will catch beneath the free arm end 17 and ride over arm 20 into the operative transverse position between arm 16 and base 13.

Once in the operative position of line 27, see FIG. 3, the line is firmly frictionally retained. However, even if the line should be released from its wedged relationship, the line is effectively retained beneath the arm 18 by the inclination of arm 20 generally longitudinally and away from the free arm end 17.

Of course, a line may be quickly and easily removed from association with the chock 10 by mere twisting of the line to pass the same upward between the laterally spaced arms 16 and 20.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides an automatically self-aligning line chock which" fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture, installation and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes, of clarity of, understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications, may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A line, chock comprising a relatively elongated substantially fiat, base of plastic composition material including a first arm integral therewith and extending from its upper surface, adjacent one end, toward the other end of said base, the undersurface of said arm diverging, relative to the upper surface of said base, toward the free end of said arm to form a space between the undersurface of; said arm and thenpper surface of said base to receive a line, in, an operative position, extending transversely of said space; said firstv arm being resiliently deflectable rela-v tive to, said base to frictionally grip the line between said undersurface. and said, upper surface as the line moves inwardly along said first arm; and a metal anchor plate including a plate portion overlying the flat upper surface oi said, base and chock fastener elements. projecting from said plate portions. through apertures in said base for anchoring of said chock; said anchor plate having a second arm, extending integrallyupwardly from said plate portion adjacent said otherend. of said, base and, diverging from .4 said plate portion toward said one end of said base, the inner side edges of said first and second arms being laterally spaced to define an opening for entry of a line therebetween in an intermediateposition in which the line extends longitudinally of said first arm for entry into and removal from said space.

2. A line chock, as claimed in claim 1, in which the inner side edge of said second arm slopes. toward said base and said first arm to extend beneath the free end of the latter to guide a line between said intermediate and operative positions.

3. A line chock, as claimed in claim 2, in which the inner side edge of said second arm is divided into two adjoining substantially rectilinear sections; the outermost section extending at a relatively small acute angle to the perpendicular to said plate portion, and the inner section extending at a much greater acute angle to said perpendicular to said plate portion, the inner section terminating beneath, the free end of said first arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 662,518 Barrett Nov. 27, 1900 816,827 Skene Apr. 3, 1906 1,011,726 Berry Dec. 12, 1911 1,423,868 Monahan July 25, 1922 1,531,746 Fort Mar. 31, 1925 1,986,994 Armacost Jan. 8, 1935 2,677,863 St. John May 11, 1954 

1. A LINE CHOCK COMPRISING A RELATIVELY ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BASE OF PLASTIC COMPOSITION MATERIAL INCLUDING A FIRST ARM INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND EXTENDING FROM ITS UPPER SURFACE, ADJACENT ONE END, TOWARD THE OTHER END OF SAID BASE, THE UNDERSURFACE OF SAID ARM DIVERGING, RELATIVE TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BASE, TOWARD THE FREE END OF SAID ARM TO FORM A SPACE BETWEEN THE UNDERSURFACE OF SAID ARM AND THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BASE TO RECEIVE A LINE, IN AN OPERATIVE POSITION, EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SPACE; SAID FIRST ARM BEING RESILIENTLY DEFLECTABLE RELATIVE TO SAID BASE TO FRICTIONALLY GRIP THE LINE BETWEEN SAID UNDERSURFACE AND SAID UPPER SURFACE AS THE LINE MOVES INWARDLYALONG SAID FIRST ARM; AND A METAL ANCHOR PLATE INCLUDING A PLATE PORTION OVERLYING THE FLAT UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BASE AND CHOCK FASTENER ELEMENTS PROJECTING FROM SAID PLATE PORTIONS THROUGH APERTURES IN SAID BASE FOR ANCHORING OF SAID CHOCK; SAID ANCHOR PLATE HAVING A SECOND ARM EXTENDING INTEGRALLY UPWARDLY FROM SAID PLATE PORTION ADJACENT SAID OTHER END OF SAID BASE AND DIVERGING FROM SAID PLATE PORTION TOWARD SAID ONE END OF SAID BASE, THE INNER SIDE EDGES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ARMS BEING LATERALLY SPACED TO DEFINE AN OPENING FOR ENTRY OF A LINE THEREBETWEEN IN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION IN WHICH THE LINE EXTENDS LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID FIRST ARM FOR ENTRY INTO AND REMOVAL FROM SAID SPACE. 